After Lu Mingyuan passed out, he was slung over a shoulder and jostled about. Overlapping black shadows swam before his eyes. He figured he must have lost too much blood; he had hit his head a little too hard.
He had intended to use the suicide attempt to get the attention of the two Imperial Guards, and through them, gain an audience with the one in charge—his father. That way, he could present the clues he had and fight for a chance at survival.
Based on the attitude of the two Imperial Guards, he could tell that he was still the Sixth Prince, still the son of the Emperor of Great Yan.
They wouldn't dare disrespect him. Only his father, the Emperor, could pass final judgment. Anyone else who dared to humiliate him was courting death.
'At the very least, my life is still worth something,' he concluded. 'That much is certain.'
That was why it was his only option.
He just hadn't expected the iron gate to be so solid, or that he would use so much force. He had actually managed to make himself bleed uncontrollably.
Hot blood streamed from his forehead, down his cheeks, and finally dripped onto the ground.
Lu Mingyuan lost too much blood and passed out.
Just as a burning sensation spread across his forehead, a scorching heat erupted from between his brows. A mottled Turtle Shell, glowing with a seven-hued light, appeared in Lu Mingyuan's mind.
The brown, cracked turtle bone exuded an ancient aura. Within the fissures, intricate characters materialized.
It was as if ancient embers had been ignited, forming into archaic runes.
Counting them, he saw six cracks in total, each corresponding to a "Yao." The content of each Yao was different, and each one contained astonishing power.
Lu Mingyuan then fully recalled the experiences of the body's original owner right before his imprisonment.
Before he had let the Demoness of the Demon Country go, he had run into the Fifth Prince, Lu Mingkong, at the entrance of his own residence. Lu Mingkong had taken a fancy to a beautiful Palace Maid at Lu Mingyuan's side. When he demanded she be given to him, Lu Mingyuan's predecessor refused, and the two had argued.
Lu Mingkong had left him with a vicious threat. "Sixth Brother, you and I both know the current situation. You're so ungrateful. You can't even part with a single Palace Maid? You really don't know what's good for you. Just you wait. You'll be sorry!"
His predecessor had merely hurled a few curses back in response. But afterward, it was as if he had become a different person. His movements grew sluggish as he made his way to the great prison to visit the Demoness. Most importantly, and most bizarrely, he hadn't encountered a single person along the entire way.
As Lu Mingyuan's consciousness gradually returned, he stared at the Six-Yao Turtle Shell floating in his mind with immense curiosity.
'What is this thing?'
'It looks a bit like the oracle bones used for divination during the Yin Shang Era in my past life.'
When he opened his eyes again, he found his head wrapped in white gauze. He was lying on a plush, wide bed of red brocade, under a canopy of purple gauze embroidered with mandarin ducks. The setting was one of immense luxury.
A familiar voice reached his ears.
"Yuan'Er, don't you scare your mother like this."
"If something were to happen to you, everything I've done would be for nothing."
The voice belonged to a weeping woman.
Lu Mingyuan shifted his gaze to the front of the bed. His eyes fell upon a beautiful, elegant woman of high station. Her hair was swept up into a high bun, adorned with sparkling, jeweled hairpins. A necklace of white jade, jadeite, and pearls graced her slender neck, and she wore a high-waisted, cyan gown patterned with koi fish.
He searched his memories and finally recalled the identity of this beautiful, tear-streaked woman.
She was his mother, Wang Zhaoyan.
She was Noble Consort Yaoguang of the Great Yan Dynasty, daughter of the current Minister of War, and the eldest legitimate daughter of the prominent Wang Family of the Imperial Capital.
At this moment, however, Wang Zhaoyan was overcome with sorrow. Her powdered cheeks were stained with tears, and the rims of her eyes were red.
But the moment Lu Mingyuan awoke, the sorrow on her face was instantly replaced by delighted surprise.
"Yuan'Er, you're awake!"
Though she was surprised and delighted, her voice was still choked with a sob.
"Mother..."
Lu Mingyuan hesitated for a moment before calling out weakly.
'I have to adopt my predecessor's habits now,' he thought. 'Otherwise, I'll only invite endless trouble.'
"I'm here."
Wang Zhaoyan wiped the tears from her face and answered with relief. Gripping Lu Mingyuan's hand, she turned to the white-haired old man beside her and asked:
"Imperial Physician Ge, how is my son?"
Imperial Physician Ge smiled and replied, "He merely fainted from excessive blood loss. It is not a serious matter."
"However..."
"However what?"
Wang Zhaoyan demanded, her eyebrows raised sharply.
Imperial Physician Ge had heard of this Noble Consort Wang's temper and power. In the entire Harem, everyone short of the Holy Emperor and the Empress had to give her a wide berth.
He quickly cupped his hands and said in a single breath, "It is just that His Highness the Sixth Prince has for many years indulged in carnal pleasures and excessive drink. This has led to a weakened constitution and a deficiency of vital energy. His body is extremely fragile. I am afraid it will require a long period of convalescence for him to recover."
"I understand. You may leave."
Wang Zhaoyan sighed and waved her hand dismissively.
Imperial Physician Ge bowed with his hands at his sides and departed.
The Imperial Physician had barely left when the Black Armored Imperial Guard from the door strode in. One of them said in a booming voice:
"Since His Highness the Sixth Prince is fine, he must naturally return to prison to await tomorrow's questioning."
Lu Mingyuan frowned. 'I'm in this state, and that so-called father of mine won't even come to see me.'
'If I go back to prison just like this, didn't I bash my head for nothing?'
Just as the two Imperial Guards were about to seize him, Wang Zhaoyan's slender figure moved to block their path. Her voice was icy.
"Wait."
She was like a completely different person from the weeping beauty of a moment ago.
"Can you not see that my son is unwell?"
The Black Armored Imperial Guard found themselves in a difficult position. They could not easily contradict Noble Consort Wang, knowing she was a highly favored Consort. Steeling themselves, one of them cupped his fist and said, "But we are acting on the Holy Emperor's orders, which cannot be defied."
Wang Zhaoyan said lightly, "I will speak with the Holy Emperor myself. You need not worry about being punished."
As she finished speaking, a plain-looking Palace Maid behind her took a single step forward, her expression utterly detached.
The two Black Armored Imperial Guards hesitated. They glanced at the Palace Maid, then at each other, and saw the gravity in the other's eyes.
'A Seventh Realm Grandmaster.'
'It seems taking him by force is impossible.'
Witnessing this, Lu Mingyuan was completely taken aback.
'I never expected my mother to be so unyielding, or to possess such surprising means.'
In his memories, Noble Consort Wang's public reputation had always been that of a venomous beauty, a snake and scorpion in human form.
She was known to be ruthless and cruel. It was said that when she discovered a Palace Maid in her service was secretly passing messages to other Consorts, she had the girl subjected to the "thousand needles" torture, a punishment that left one begging for death.
In any case, anyone who offended her was guaranteed a miserable end.
It was thanks to having such a mother that his predecessor had been able to get away with so much for so long.
Of course, that was her public persona.
To her son, she was a doting mother. She gave him the best of everything, even providing the silver for his visits to brothels and gambling dens. If he took a fancy to a certain Palace Maid, she would go and demand the girl for him, and her requests were usually met. She was extraordinarily attentive and caring.
After all, he was her only son.
Seeing Noble Consort Wang's unyielding stance, the two Imperial Guards were left with no choice but to temporarily withdraw.
Seeing them retreat, Wang Zhaoyan let out a sigh of relief. The Holy Emperor's Moqilin Guard were his Personal Guard, and they carried immense military authority. Even she could not afford to offend them too deeply.
She turned and embraced Lu Mingyuan, comforting him repeatedly.
"It's alright now, it's alright."
Although Lu Mingyuan was very unused to such affection, he could only endure it. Recalling the words he had heard upon waking, he asked curiously, "Mother, I heard you say just now that 'everything I've done would be for nothing.' What did you mean by that?"
Wang Zhaoyan answered earnestly, "How could I possibly let you die? I was already planning to go to Qianyuan Hall tonight to plead with your father, the Emperor. Your maternal grandfather will also join with other ministers to petition for a thorough investigation. So, you don't need to worry."
Lu Mingyuan was stunned. 'I never expected this woman to be so devoted to me.'
"Mother... won't this displease Father? Your position in the Harem could be in jeopardy."
Lu Mingyuan knew very well the severity of the crime he was accused of.
It was no different from treason, not like his usual petty offenses of abducting common women or other unseemly conduct.
Wang Zhaoyan released Lu Mingyuan. Placing a fair hand, adorned with a Jade Bracelet, on his shoulder, she smiled.
"What foolishness is this? I am your mother. If you were to die, what meaning would my position have, no matter how important?"
"Yuan'Er has really grown up. I've never heard you say such things before."
Hearing her response, Lu Mingyuan immediately fell silent.
'I shouldn't have run my mouth. I almost exposed myself.'
'My predecessor was not one to think things through. He would never have considered such consequences.'
At the same time, he was deeply moved.
'I can't believe I have a mother who loves me this much.'
The next moment, Lu Mingyuan felt the blood on his forehead burn. The Six-Yao Turtle Shell in his mind began to glow, and symbols flew out from it, constantly rearranging themselves.
Soon, the symbols formed words before his eyes.
[Disaster of imprisonment, calamity of Witchcraft. Whether hidden or revealed, life and death are governed by fate.]
[Upper Trigram of Good Fortune: Inform Wang Zhaoyan of the Witchcraft plot. You will still be punished, but being sent to the Cold Palace will be a blessing. The other Princes will no longer see you as a thorn in their side. The downside: your reputation will bar you from the Emperor's Throne. After your confinement, you can obtain the Emperor Orange Fate Grid (Dragon Trapped in the Abyss). Greatly auspicious!]
[Middle Trigram of Evil: Wait for Wang Zhaoyan to plead on your behalf tonight and watch for an opportunity. The greater the opportunity, the greater the risk. You may face assassination and perish. Moderately inauspicious!]
[Lower Trigram of Good Fortune: Entrust Wang Zhaoyan to reveal the Witchcraft affair, then voluntarily leave the Imperial Capital for exile in the Western Wilderness. Though war and disaster will follow, the blessing is that you will be far from the Imperial Court. With the heavens high and the land vast, a successful escape will grant you the Azure Fate Grid (Exiled Emperor). A slim chance of survival. Slightly auspicious!]
[Lower Trigram of Evil: Hide the information about the Witchcraft and insist on an audience with your father, the Emperor. This path leads to certain death. Greatly inauspicious!]
...